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 He later married Shirley and they settled in her native Circleville, West Virginia. They farmed, ran an auto parts store and Mike welded in the coal mines. After years of struggling, they moved to Northern Virginia and started a trucking and a sign painting business. That’s where they were first introduced to the motorcycle rally scene.
They moved back to the mountains of West Virginia and with his old CB radio handle of “Mountainman”, they started traveling the country working the motorcycle circuit. They now travel nine months out of the year.
Four years ago Mike and Shirley had the opportunity to buy back Shirley’s family farm and pursue a long time dream of starting a Christian based retreat for special needs children and their families. Eagle Mountain Ranch is still a work in progress.
Hundreds of award and show winning motorcycles all over the US and abroad have been painted by the Mountainman and many have been featured in magazines, newspapers and on TV.
One motorcycle, airbrushed with flags and eagles, won first place in best use of color in the DuPont Paint Top Gun Contest, a world wide event with hundreds of entries. Mike also has one of his pinstriped and muraled panels hanging in the MAC Brush Pinstripers Hall of Fame.
Mountainman is well known for his highly detailed work. His fine line pinstriping and graphics are hand painted.
On the road and at motorcycle rallies, Mike uses a hand painted technique with airbrushed highlights for his murals.
Mike also does full airbrushed, clear coated murals on motorcycles, trucks, motor homes, buses, trailers, etc. in his shop in West Virginia. For the convenience of Mountainman’s clients, Mike takes appointments at his shop and accepts parts shipped to his location.
Mountainman also does large wall murals in homes, schools, churches, and business locations. He did a 40’ mural of the life of Jesus for a local church. His largest mural to date is two 6’ by 60’ long paintings on masonite board for an annual church passion play.
Canvas art has been a long time favorite of the Mountainman. His favorite subjects are wildlife and Christian themes. Mike’s painting of a white Arabian stallion is hanging in the former presidential palace in Nicaragua.
During the “Desert Storm War” he did an ink drawing to benefit the USO. Prints went to former President Bush, Secretary of State Richard Cheney, General Norman Swartzcoft, Oliver North, Senator John Warner, and other generals and military personal the world over. The POW’s and wounded of Desert Storm were presented one of the prints by Mountainman at a special USO sponsored event in Pentagon City, near Washington, DC.
Mountainman has also teamed up with internationally known gospel soloist, Cindy Sites, doing church services, they call, “Singin’; Paintin’; & Preachin’,” where Cindy sings as Mountainman airbrushes murals of Calvary etc.
Mike is currently working with another internationally known Christian singer, song writer, Ray Boltz. Mountainman paints Ray’s songs and currently has prints available of "The Anchor Holds". Prints of "Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" will be available soon.
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